DRIVE AGAINST BOGUS RATION CARDS

PANJIM: The civil supplies department will launch a door-to-door drive to check bogus ration cards in the state. The drive has been planned only after its preliminary exercise of asking people to surrender unauthorized cards failed to evoke a response.

Also a total of 3,200 ration cards remained unclaimed with the department during its drive to detect bogus ration cards, none were surrendered during the period set by it.

The department, in a circular in October 2010, had directed ration card holders and fair price shops possessing or using bogus cards to surrender them to taluka mamlatdars within a fortnight or face prosecution.

The department has also issued a warning in connection with a writ petition filed by People's Union for Civil Liberties before Supreme Court regarding ration quota and delay in its disbursal and other issues.

In turn, joint secretary of Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution of department of food and public distribution, New Delhi had directed all states to ensure surrender of bogus cards in an order dated September 1, 2010.

"However, none have surrendered their bogus ration cards while 3,200 have not turned up to claim their cards," director of civil supplies and consumer affairs, G P Pilarnekar, said.

The drive is likely to begin early next year in a bid to carry out a routine check of bogus cards and also to verify if card holders are availing rations from fair price shops. "Fair price shops often keep bogus ration cards with them and raids on these outlets can help catch the culprits," Pilarnekar added.

The government had offered those surrendering bogus cards, an exemption from prosecution under the law. But Pilarnekar explained that all 3,200 cards might not be bogus, as some genuine persons may have not collected their cards. Many persons register for ration cards to produce it as a document, but not to avail ration from fair price shops, he said.

In 2007, the department had initiated the process to re-register existing ration cards totaling 4,34,000, but many card holders had not claimed them after applying again.

The department has issued 3,59,384 families ration cards under and above poverty line (APL) category. Their population is estimated to be around 15,72,521. In all, 12,907 are classified below poverty line (BPL) for issue of cards while the population is 59,993.